Of Young Minds
by theo darkstar
Summary: beginins of friendship between the children of mirkwood and rivendell. invloves elladan and elrohir and lots of fun and also some trouble! please read
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer – of if only I could! The only elves I own are Sarlinna and the four eldest Mirkwood children! The rest are stolen or should I maybe say borrowed property!

**_Of Young Minds_**

**Chapter One** - _Introductions_

If you happened to wonder through the trees on this warm summer morning, you would happen to hear peals of laughter. It floated through the trees, carried onwards by the faint breeze. You would know that all was at peace and joyful in the world.

Now if you were curious about this laughter, you would follow it as it drew you ever onwards until you chanced upon a clearing. If you were like me and had just stepped out of the trees you would stop and stare at the beauty that was presented to you. A cliff rose to one side, water tumbles over the edge into a perfect swimming hole. Your attention would be drawn back to the laughter.

Squeals of protest can be heard from girls as the water is disturbed by the splashing of boys. Four adults rest away from the water, a picnic spread out before them. Two have dark hair while two have golden locks. If you looked at the water you would see several things at once. Four children climb up the cliff, one you realise is a girl, and all have dark hair. Two smaller girls with inky black hair are racing towards the waters edge, shouting at the four climbers. One girl, smaller still sits by the edge with her head tilted back, watching the clouds. A tall golden haired man is standing in the water with a golden haired child in his arms.

The climbers have reached the top.

Two stand forward and you have to rub your eyes. They are the same person. But of course they cannot be, they are twins. Elladan and Elrohir of Imladris. Their parents are sitting with the picnic, Elrond and Celebrian. At a shout from their little sister, the cloud gazer, they jump. In perfect harmony they flip and land in the water with barely a splash. Shouts from the golden haired swimmers are heard but once they surface, all attention is back to the cliff.

These two are brother and sister, the brother older by a year. It is hard to tell but it is possible to tell that their hair is two tones lighter than that of the twins. They nodded at the little cloud gazer to let them know they were ready. Arwen, for it was she who was the cloud gazer, gave a shout and the two jumped. It was almost as good as the twins, but as they were not twins and did not have the closeness of their nature, the older one, the boy, hit the water first. They too rose to the shouts from the golden haired swimmers. But what has happened to our little angry girls.

They had climbed up the cliff and were now peering over the edge. Then with equally loud shouts, they jumped over holding the others hand tightly. Too be fair to them, they got shouts of praise from all for being so brave and were even hugged by little Arwen. But who are these other elves you ask. Yes it is true, they are all elves and to be kind the tall golden haired elf in the water is none other than Lord Glorfindel, the Balrog slayer. But first we must start at the beginning, for all good introductions must always start there.

First to be introduced is Thranduil, king of Mirkwood, though he would have it called Greenwood. He is one of the golden haired parents. His wife is the total opposite to him with her inky black hair. She is called Sarlinna, queen and most beloved by all. They have five children, only one has golden hair.

The eldest is Crown Prince Carnil, whose name means red star. Closest to him is his sister Ninniach, the rainbow. Two years younger is Telperion, so named for the beloved white tree. Her hair is like her mothers while the older two have a golden brown hair. Her best friend is her little sister by a year, Elerrina. The two look very similar, but Elerrina is the smaller. Five long years separate her from the youngest of that family.

Four-year-old Legolas was graced with golden hair and his mothers blue eyes. He had found safety in Lord Glorfindel.

The family from Mirkwood, or Greenwood were currently spending some time visiting their friends in Imladris. Lord Elrond is the lord of this elven community and has shown that he can cope very well with his responsibility and with the role as father towards three wayward children. His wife is the silver haired daughter of Lord Celeborn and Galadriel, Lady of the Light. Unfortunately, the only thing her children have received from her is her graceful nature and grey eyes, though Elrond too has grey eyes, his are more blue than silver.

The twins are of an age with twelve-year-old Ninniach while Arwen is only seven, making her two years younger than Elerrina and three years older than Legolas. Thus she was often left behind by the older elves. At the young age of only seven you could tell that this little elf maid was going to equal, if not pass, her mother in beauty, making her one of the fairest beings in the world. The other would be young Legolas, with his lean frame and pale skin, add to that his golden hair and bluer than blue eyes and you result is one of great beauty. At the age of four, this little elf was already beautiful, but some could not see past his skinniness. And thus we come to part of the reason for the visit to Imladris.

Of course Thranduil would have you think it was one of pleasure but in truth that is only half true. Ever since they had started Legolas on solid food a year ago, he had been throwing up and not eating, when they tried to make him he grew violent and screamed. The four older children paid no attention to this youngest prince, but it greatly distressed their beloved mother. So far, over the past week, only Glorfindel could get this prince to eat. Not wanting him to starve, they had started him on the solid food and then given him baby food to give him the proper nutrients. But let us not sadden this chapter with sad tales. For if you are anything like me you will want to know the outcome of the diving contest.

Arwen and Legolas had been the judges. They had awarded first place to Telperion and Elerrina. Now they awaited the final verdict. In fact even the adults awaited the decision with baited breath. It must be under stood that the older children from each family did not get on very well. Sure they were polite but as far as interaction between them, it did not exist. Arwen was now seated on Glorfindel's shoulders while Legolas was still in his arms. The two were whispering together and asking Glorfindel questions. Finally they looked up and towards their older siblings.

"We have decided that second should go to Carnil and Elladan!" Arwen said, naming the eldest of each pair.

"What?" asked Elrohir and Ninniach together. Ninniach and Carnil had been ready to jump around and gloat, teasing the twins for only coming third. Arwen and Legolas smiled. Carnil and Elladan were too busy laughing and congratulating each other.

"You came third Ninniach!" Legolas grinned clapping his hands.

"So did you Elrohir! That way it was fair to all!" Arwen said as she slid off Glorfindel's shoulders and made her way to her mother. Elrohir did not mind this outcome but Ninniach was still upset.

The parents of these unhappy children were glad of the outcome of the event. After making everyone come out of the water, they sat down for lunch. Then when all were dry and sleepy from the sun, they decided to leave for the halls of Imladris. Each child was placed on a horse; the younger ones were placed with an adult as they were all falling asleep. Thus they rode home. If you are curious about the riding arrangements then I will tell you. Legolas rode with Glorfindel, as he would not be parted from him, even in sleep. Celebrian carried Arwen in front of her while Elrond led the horse that carried his twin sons. Sarlinna had Elerrina while Thranduil had Telperion. Carnil and Ninniach rode together and they too were led by Elrond on the other side. Thus with only one argument for the whole day, the parents were very pleased with the outcome of the day. They just hoped that their children would grow to become good friends. But my dear reader, not all these children were sleeping. Elladan and Elrohir were only pretending. In fact these mischievous sons of Elrond were secretly planning a prank to play on Ninniach. Now do not start thinking they were mean or spiteful, they just wanted her to stop being so formal, for they had seen a better side of Carnil that day and they liked it, if only the same could be said of Ninniach. So without letting on that they were not sleeping, they planned. Of course, Arwen would need to be told the next day but that could wait, they had to form and outline for their plan…


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer – of if only I could! The only elves I own are Sarlinna and the four eldest Mirkwood children! The rest are stolen or should I maybe say borrowed property!

My thanks to all who have reviewed so far...please keep them coming! i hope you enjoy this next harmless chapter!

Of Young Minds

Chapter Two – Innocence

It was late night. All were sleeping, or at least they should be sleeping. Two identical elves were currently creeping along the corridors. They had to talk to Arwen. Upon reaching her door, they crept in and silently woke her. As they talked, the young elf maids face grew from being extremely unhappy to one of pure delight. Once the plan had been properly formed, the twins disappeared back to their room.

Legolas let Glorfindel pour milk over his wheat-a-bix. In truth, he did not mind eating the wheat-a-bix, for if he left it long enough it all turned mushy and he didn't have to chew it. It was not that he did not like solid food; it was the way he had first been introduced to it. Elerrina had been throwing a tantrum again because she did not want to eat her carrots, again. She had screamed and shouted then Telperion had asked why 'Baby' does not have to eat proper food. The next day to Legolas's astonishment, he had been given food like that of his older siblings. The then three-year-old had first been amazed by this new food and had tried different things, with his hands for he had just learnt how to eat with a spoon. But once more, during one of Elerrina's tantrums, Telperion had demanded to know why 'Baby' did not have to use the proper tools for eating, a knife and fork. So gradually, the change from one kind of food to another had been a terrifying thing for the 'Baby' of the family. It had grown so bad that Legolas had grown to fear meal times because of his sisters. But here in Imladris was different. Glorfindel had been kind to the little elfling and was taking time at meal times to make it a fun and enjoyable experience. If only his sisters could feel that way. Looking over at them he saw that Ninniach was arguing with Telperion. Soon Elerrina would start crying and all would turn to her. It happened all the time. He knew that Elerrina liked the attention and hated for others to get more than her. Her best friend was Telperion and the two would go everywhere together. They had delighted in Legolas at first but once they found out he got more attention, they became jealous. Legolas did not really mind, he was a very forgiving child and right now he had Glorfindel as a friend.

It was almost time for dinner. The day had gone far too slowly for Arwen. At first she had been looking forward to it but over breakfast, things had changed. Elerrina had thrown a tantrum over the fact she wanted hot milk. She had tried playing with the two older girls but they had ignored her so she had gone to find her brothers. They had told her to get the prank ready for that evening while they occupied Ninniach and Carnil. Then they had forgotten her and kept playing. As a last resort she had gone to find Legolas. The little elfling was learning how to climb a tree while Glorfindel helped. So Arwen, who had been climbing trees since the age of three, decided to help. Now it was time for dinner. She finished brushing her hair and slowly made her way to the dining hall. She spotted the twins just ahead. They waited for their sister and the three siblings made their way to dinner. Mind you they walked very slowly. As they walked, they talked.

"Do you think she's found out yet?" asked Elrohir.

"Does it sound like it?" asked Elladan sarcastically. Elrohir punched his brother in the arm while Arwen giggled. Her brothers always knew how to cheer her up.

"Hey Arwen, sorry we didn't play with you today," Elrohir said as he placed an arm around her shoulders.

"What did you do?" asked Elladan. But before Arwen could answer, a loud scream swept through the halls.

"She found out!" they said together. Anyone who had been watching these children walk would have noticed how fast they started walking and then how soon they were seated at the table. Nearly everyone was seated. Ninniach and Queen Sarlinna as well as Celebrian were the only ones missing. Looking around, Arwen saw Legolas playing with his knife and fork next to Glorfindel. While everyone had looked up at the scream, and were still listening to it, Legolas had not even reacted. Arwen pointed this out to her brothers who both looked at the blonde elfling.

"Maybe he's used to it!" said Elrohir thoughtfully.

"With sisters like that hardly surprising!" Elladan added. Arwen grinned.

"I was helping Glorfindel teach him to climb trees today! He's fun to be around!" she said still looking at him.

"Lets, play with him tomorrow El," Elladan suggested using the nickname Arwen had given them when she was younger. His twin agreed and they sat and waited for the latecomers to arrive.

"I can't go in there!" came a shrill scream from outside the door.

"Ninniach, we are already late, you will go in there so we can eat!" came the firm voice of Sarlinna.

"But Naneth!"

"Now!"

The doors were thrown open with a bang and Ninniach stalked towards her seat. Her usually light brown hair was now a bright shade of pink. The twins and Arwen stared at her, smiles fighting to be shown on their faces. In fact, it was Legolas who first started to laugh. Carnil soon joined his brother in laughter while Telperion and Elerrina stared at their older sister in shock.

"Ninni, why is your hair pink?" asked Telperion innocently.

"Maybe she wanted to be different!" Elerrina suggested when Ninniach showed no sign of talking.

"But who would dye their hair pink?" Telperion was confused.

"I would! It's a pretty colour!" Elerrina said happily. The two innocent girls were unknowingly making their older sister very grumpy.

"Naneth, can I have pink hair like Ninni?" asked Telperion and Elerrina together. Sarlinna only smiled at the two girls and began to eat. Elrond looked at his three children and groaned. They were huddled together and whispering. He knew they were the culprits in this, but he could not prove it. For they would plead innocent if he asked, they always did. Then he smiled. This would be a perfect way for the friendship of the children to start. If his sons could get the older children of Thranduil to loosen up then perhaps it would not be so strained between them.

Later that night found not two but four children out of bed. Ninniach was going to get revenge for her pink hair, and she was dragging Carnil along with her. The twins had enjoyed that prank and were all set for another one, this time on Carnil. Something simple would be best they decided. So they were going to place a bucket of honey and feathers over his door. Elladan was gathering feathers from their rooms while Elrohir got some honey from the kitchens. That is, until he ran into Ninniach.

"What are you doing here?" they asked together in equal shock. Ninniach tugged at her pink hair and glared at Elrohir. Elrohir grinned innocently. He grabbed two jars of honey and started to back towards the door, snatching a slice of bread off the counter before leaving.

"I'm hungry!" he informed Ninniach as he made his escape, honey jars hidden. Then he ran to his brother.

Ninniach watched him leave and looked around the kitchen. She was sure she had seen two jars of honey just recently. Shrugging her shoulders, she found two more and went in search of Carnil. He should have enough feathers by now!

Legolas lay in his bed and tried to sleep. He was so bored. Leaning over his bed he stared underneath it and pretended there was a cat under there. So absorbed was he in his world, he failed to hear to door open and shut. It was only when Arwen asked him what he was doing did he realise he was not alone.

"Nothing!" he said innocently, looking with large blue eyes at the elf maid. Arwen grinned. She lay on her stomach and looked under the bed.

"I used to pretend I had a pet cat under my bed when I was bored!" she said.

"Really?" Legolas asked hanging over the edge of his bed again.

"Yep, I named him Snowy cos he was so black you couldn't see him!"

"Well I'll name mine Blacky cos she's all white!" The two were silent for a while.

"Why are you here?" asked Legolas looking at Arwen. Arwen sat up and shrugged.

"I'm bored! I couldn't sleep and the twins were not in their room!" she said looking curiously at the younger elf. Legolas grinned. No one had ever come to him before; in fact no one had ever spent this much time with him before. Sure his mother and father had but none of his sisters had nor had his brother. He wondered what it would be like to be Arwen with two brothers that loved him and wanted to spend time with him. Then he pushed that all away and went back to looking under his bed.

"I'm bored too!" he said. Arwen grinned and lay down again. The two youngsters chatted happily about their cats until they drifted off to sleep. Mean while, their older siblings were in for a shock sooner then they expected…


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer – of if only I could! The only elves I own are Sarlinna and the four eldest Mirkwood children! The rest are stolen or should I maybe say borrowed property!

Of Young Minds

Chapter Three – Surprises

It was late morning and Legolas and Arwen were still sleeping. One laid out on the floor the other half on his bed. There were in for a very loud awakening.

Upon hearing the screams coming from Carnil and Ninniach's rooms, the twins had dashed out into the corridor to find a place to hide. They too soon joined in the screaming. Elladan was now covered in honey and feathers while Elrohir had been drenched in cold water. It was these screams that woke Legolas and Arwen. Arwen sat up rubbing her eyes as Legolas tumbled from his bed. The two looked at each other in surprise. Then shrugging her shoulders, Arwen got up and offered Legolas her hand.

"I think it is time for breakfast!" she said, "I smell pancakes!" At this, Legolas cringed but he did not let Arwen's hand go. The young elf maid had felt Legolas draw back but she ignored it, she loved pancakes. Still in their nightclothes, the two made their way to the dinner hall. Arwen noticed the absence of her brothers and the two oldest from Mirkwood but she chose to ignore it. Making sure she sat near Glorfindel, Arwen and Legolas sat and waited. Telperion and Elerrina were whispering together and totally ignored everything that was going on around them. The parents were chatting to each other and Glorfindel was talking to Erestor. Legolas tugged at Glorfindel's sleeve and pointed to the pancakes on the table. The tall elf smiled and handed them to Arwen and the little elf prince. He then proceeded to cut them up so Legolas could use his fork. Breakfast went and still the four older ones were missing. Arwen decided to find them. After she was dressed for the day, she went and found Legolas first. The little elfling was climbing up the bookcase in the library while Glorfindel talked to Erestor. Ignoring the older elves, Arwen focused on Legolas.

"Lets go find my brothers!" she started.

"I wanna stay with Glorfindel!" Legolas said from halfway up the bookcase. Arwen sighed; she didn't exactly know why she wanted Legolas to come with her, it just seemed like the right thing to do. Plus, after a week with having no one to play with, she was willing to play with anyone.

"I don't care, lets find my brothers!" she snapped. Legolas ignored her and kept climbing. Arwen looked from the elfling to Erestor. "If you don't help me then I will tell Erestor you were climbing the bookcase, he gets angry with people who do that!" She was rewarded with Legolas climbing back down and looking at her with sad eyes. Groaning, she reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Why do you want my help?" asked Legolas, clearly confused. No one had ever asked his help with anything. He was the 'Baby' who didn't have to do anything. His sisters had never asked him to play and his brother was too grown up to play with babies. Looking at Arwen he couldn't help but wonder why she wanted his help.

"Because I can't find my brothers by myself," a lie, "And you have nothing to do!" Arwen grinned as she began to pull the smaller elfling out the door. Legolas looked back at Glorfindel. Turning to Arwen he grinned.

"Where do they usually hide?" he asked. Arwen grinned as she led the elfling outside.

Later that day found four very happy elves sitting high up in a tree. Elladan and Carnil had finally managed to get rid of the honey and feathers that covered them and Ninniach and Elrohir were finally dry. They were planning a prank to play on Telperion and Elerrina. Below them sat Arwen and Legolas. The two youngsters were guarding the tree encase Telperion and Elerrina came along. At first Arwen had grumbled about doing that but upon seeing the happy face of Legolas she had agreed. Legolas had been overjoyed at being included in something with his older brother and sister. Arwen was teaching him how to play a game called Paper, Rock, Sword. (Much like Scissors, Paper Rock!) Thus all was peaceful for the moment.

Celebrian and Sarlinna were seated in the library talking with Glorfindel. They were planning a day out with their youngest children. Glorfindel was going along as guard. They wanted to be sure everything would be all right so Glorfindel had sent out scouts earlier in the day. The report was looking good, now they needed to find Arwen and Legolas and tell them the good news. But they decided the surprise could wait until after dinner. Little did they expect the outcome of this surprise.

Upon hearing the news that her mother was only taking Legolas, Elerrina had started screaming and throwing a tantrum. Telperion, who always defended her sister, had shouted at her mother and begged her father to make her change her mind. The twins, Ninniach and Carnil did not really mind cos they were now becoming fast friends. When Elerrina had screamed herself to hiccups, she and Telperion had run to her room and would not let anyone else in. Legolas and Arwen were overjoyed at the news of a day spent with their mothers and Glorfindel.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer – of if only I could! The only elves I own are Sarlinna and the four eldest Mirkwood children! The rest are stolen or should I maybe say borrowed property!

Of Young Minds

Chapter Four – Hurt

It was cold and it was muddy. Something was laid out on top of her and it was heavy. Black hair was blowing in her face and she could feel the mud soaking through her clothes. She desperatly wanted to be free of the weight but it wasn't going to move. Giving up on her struggles she lay still and listened to the sounds of the trees. All was quiet. Nothing moved and nothing made a sound. Soft footfalls were barely noticed by the captive elf maid. It was not until she saw the pair of feet before her face did she realise she was not alone. The weight was lifted off her back and strong arms lifted her up. Looking up she saw a familiar face and promptly buried her face in the strong chest. She was safe and she didn't want to be anywhere else. Her Ada had come to her. She was safe.

When Celebrian and Sarlinna did not come back as planed Elrond did not really worry. They had Glorfindel with them. They would be fine. When they still did not show up the next day he began to worry. When lunchtime came Elrond and Thranduil rode out the gates leaving Erestor in charge of the remaining children. The followed the trail easy enough and soon they were stopped. They had come to a clearing. Bodies surrounded the clearing. Elven arrows were scattered around, most in the bodies. A single sword lay broken. An elf maid lay in the centre of the clearing. She was draped, or had fallen, over a smaller being. The elf guard had lifted the body clear of the smaller one and Elrond had rushed over.

Thranduil remembered watching as elves lifted his wife off Arwen. He remembered watching as Elrond ran and scooped his daughter into his arms. He remembered the tears streaking the elf lords' face and he remembered the tears falling from his own eyes. He remembered the shout from an elf as it was found that Sarlinna still breathed. Then he remembered no more.

They were back in Rivendell. Arwen was still clinging to him and Sarlinna was breathing. Thranduil had not left her side. Elrond desperatly wanted to go back out and look for his wife. It seemed Thranduil had forgotten about everyone else but his own wife. Healers were looking after the royal couple while Elrond attempted to control his only daughter. When he had put her down she had screamed and screamed. Only when he lifted her again would she stop. Elrond was longing to search for the others, he wanted, he needed, to know what had hurt his little girl, what was hurting his wife…

Far in the woods, deep in a cave, a little elfling screamed and screamed. The screaming stooped and not a sound more did he make. The orcs laughed as they kicked the little elfling away from them…

Hey sorry for the short chapter…but what more can I say!


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